Locking plate adjusting means for vise beams



Oct. 7, 1952 R. o. HEINRICH 2,612,305

LOCKING PLATE ADJUSTING MEANS FOR VISE BEAMS Filed Aug. 10, 1951 2saws-swam 1 INVENTOR ROBERT O.HE| NRICH ATTORNEYS Oct. 7, 1952 R; o.HEINRICH 1 :Z' LOCKING PLATE ADJUSTING MEANS FOR VISE BEAMS v Filed Aug.10, 1951 2.SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR ROBERT O.HEINRlCH Patented Oct. 7,1952 UNITED rs'rArEs. PATENT OFFICE:

, IJOICKING 'PL'ATE'ADJUSTING MEANS Fort 'VISE BEAMS .i i Rbblt(LLIHeinrich; Racine,- Wis. Application Augustf'lO,1951,.Serial1No..241,313

This invention appertains to gripping and clamping devices and moreparticularly to' vises of the type shown in my prior patents No.2,362,067; No. 2,392,820 and No. 2,424,313; issued respectively, onNovember'i, 1944; January '15, 1946 and July 22, 1947.

' One of the primary objects of my present 1nvention is to provide avise embodyinga single plate which effectively advances, locks' andretracts the movable jaw of the vise, with means for locating the platerelative to the actuatin crank or cam shaft for the plate, so that, theplate can be adjusted afterwear occurs to still insure the properengagement oftheplate with the center bar or beam'or themovable jaw.

Another salient object of my invention, is to provide a'tilting lockplate having a="novelly formed opening for'receiving the-center bar orbeam of the vise "with the actuatingcrank shaft engaging the-upper endof the plate.for tilting the same, and anabutment or stop" engaging thelower end of the plate, the'abutmentor' stop being adjustable, wherebyto 'correctly -po'sition the head of the samerelative to the-plate andthe axis of the crank or *camshaft toinsure proper gripping ofthe wallsof the opening in the plate with the center rod or vise :beam as wearoccurs.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of aremovable closure plate for the chamber housing the-tiltinglocking'plate, the closure plate forming. means. for! engaging the headof the stop for preventing accidental turning movement thereof after the..stop has been adjusted .to av desired and SBIGC'CBdiDOSltiOIl.

With these and other objects'inwiew, the invention consists in the novelconstruction, arrangement and formation of parts, :as will behereinafter more specifically described 1 and claimed, and illustratedin meg-accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan vise with parts thereof broken away and'insection to illustrate structural detail.

Figure 2 is a centralylongitudinal" sectional view through the visetaken on the line 2 -2 of Figure 1, looking in the directionof thearrows, the view showing the locking plate in its released vertical.position.

Figure 3 is a view 'similarto Figure; 2, but showing the plate in itstilted position forbringing the movable jaw into gripping contact withthe work.

Figure 4 is a transversessectional viewthrough the" vise taken on theline 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view, showing infull linesthe initial tilting of the locking plate for bringing the-sameinto gripping engagement with the center rod or vise beam upon partialmovement of the cam orcrank shaft, the view also showing indotted lines,the position of the plate after further turning movement ofv the cam orcrank shaft for advancing the plate and the vise beam, the view furthershowing the relationship of the parts before wear occurs. I Figure 6 .isa viewsimilar to Figure 5, but showing the relationship of the partsafter wear occurs, with the-resultant non-effective engagementof theplate with the vise beam. 7 Figure 7 is a view similar to Figures 5 and6, but showing the adjustment of the abutment or stop-after"wear hasoccurred in the plate for permitting the. efiective engagement of theplate with .the vise'beam.

liteferrin'gv to the drawings in detail, wherein similarreferencecharacters designate corresponding. parts throughout theseveral views, the letter V generally indicates the vise with myimprovements incorporated therein. The .vise includes a frame10,.embodying a front casting H and a rear casting. I2. These castingsare rigidly connected. together by spaced. parallel, smooth guide rods13 which can be formedfrom polished steel, if so desired.

. The front. castingll includes a base l4,.which can'be'provided withopenings or notches I5 for facilitating the 'bolting' thereof to a.table or bench.

Thefrear casting l2, also embodies abase l6 and an upstanding rigid jawH. The base I6,

I can alsobe providedwith suitable openings or .notches [8 forfacilitating the attachment of the clampor vise to the desired table orbench.

view of my improved vAs illustrated, the castings H and I2 can also beunited by side rails 19, and hence-if preferred, the front and rearcastings Hand 12., with the rails 19, can be formed as a single unit.

Cast on the .base- 14, is a centrally disposed upstanding hollowshell'20. Enclosed. within the hollow-shell Zilis a locking and advancingmechanism 2|. I I

Slidably mounted on the smooth guide. rods l3,

between the-rigid jaw I! and the upstandingv shell 20, isa movable jaw22. This movable jaw' can .be reinforced by bosses 23, or the like, atthe point where the movable jaw slides on the guide Rigidly attached tothe center of the movable jaw 22 is a center bar or beam 24. This beam24 is preferably of a cylindrical shape and is formed from hardenedpolished steel and slidably extends through openings 25 formed in theupstanding shell 20. The outer end of the beam 24 is provided with anypreferred type of hand grip 26, whereby the beam and the movable jaw 22can be easily slid back and forth toward and away from the rigid body[5.

The beam 24 is advanced, clamped and retracted by the mechanism 2!,which will now be de--' scribed. This mechanism 2| includes a locking orclamping plate 2! and the same is formed with an opening or bore 28through which the vise beam 24 extends. The opening or bore 28 is of aslightly greater diameter than the diameter of the beam 24. However, arelatively close fit is had, but one which will still permit the rockingof the clamping plate on the beam,

The plate 27 is of a rugged nature and can be formed from spring steel,so that the samewill possess a certain desired resiliency. The upper endof the plate is reduced in width to form a finger 29, which extendsabove the beam 24.

The opening or bore 28 formed in the clamping plate 21, has the ends ofits wall slightly curved outwardly in, opposite directions, as at 39.This provides inner annular gripping edges which-are of such a characterthat injury to the surface of the beam 24 is prevented.

Actuation of the clamping plate is had by means of a cam or crank shaft32, which is rockably mounted in suitable bearing openings 33, formed inthe end walls of the shell 20. A throw portion 34 of the shaft isarrangedfor engagement with a reduced finger 29 of the clamping plate 2!One end of the crank shaft 32 carries a suitable operating handle orlever 35. A hand grip 35 is carried by the lever for facilitating theturning movement thereof. Means can be provided for'limiting the throwof the lever in either direction.

Coiled about the beam 24 is a relatively heavy expansion spring 31. Thiscoil spring 31 is positioned between the plate 2| and one wall of theshell 20, and serves to push back on the plate to hold the finger 29 incontact with the throw portion 34 of the crank shaft 32, and incontact'with an adjustable stop 38 which forms the important feature ofmy present invention.

Particular attention is now called to the -adjustable stop 38, and it isto be noted that the same is in the nature of a screw having an enlargedinner stop head 39. The stop head 39 has a smooth, fiat front face andthe spring 31' normally holds the plate against the stop head. The stopis threaded into the wall of the shell opposite that wall which isengaged by the spring 31. The protruding end of the screw or stop 38 isprovided with a slot or equivalent means to permit the turning thereofand consequent adjustment of the head 39 relative to the plate 2! andthe axis of the crank shaft 32. The crank shaft engages the plate abovethe beam 24 and the head of the screw engages the plate below the beam,and, as stated, the plate is urged by the spring 3'! into contact withthe flat forward face of the adjustable stop or screw 39. The peripheryof the head 39 of the stop or screw is grooved or fluted to provideradially projecting teeth, for a purpose which will later appear.Initially, the screw or stop 38 is adjusted so that the rear face of thehead 39 lies in a vertical plane perpendicular with the axis of thecrank shaft 32, and with the forward face of the head 39 in the samevertical plane with the face of the throw portion 34 of the crank shaft,with the lever 35 in its raised, released position (see Figure 2). Inoperation of the Vise the handle or lever 35 is normally in its raisedposition, as shown in Figure 2, so that the active face is away from theplate 2!. Consequently, the spring 31 functions to hold the plate in araised position against the shaft and the stop-or screw at right anglesto the longitudinal axis of the beam 24 so that the central axis of thebore 28 of the plate coincides with the longitudi- .nal axis of the beam24. The beam can now be freely slid back and forth so as to adjust thejaw '22 relative to thestationary jaw l1 and the work.

Upon the swinging of the handle or lever 35 down to the left (referringto Figures 2 and 3) the clamp plate 2i will be tilted, as is clearlyshown in Figure 5. Upon the tilting of the plate 2 I, the diagonalopposite portions of the wall of the bore will first contact and graspthe beam, and upon continueddownward movement of the handle or lever 35,the tilting plate 2|, beam 24, and movable jaw 22 will be moved as aunit by the throw Portion 34, until the movable jaw firmly grips thework. When the lever is again moved to its raised released position, thespring 37 will tend to release the plate from gripping engagement withthe beam, but before complete re lease occurs, the beam, plate andmovable jaw are moved as a unit slightly away from the stationary jaw.The spring 3? will hold the clampin plate 2| tight against the smoothforward face of the head 39 of the adjustable stop or screw.

1 Now by referring to Figure 6, it can be seen that as wear takesplace-on thewall'of the bore 30 of the plate 2|, upon-initial turning ofthe throw portion 34 of the crank or cam shaft 32, the clamping platewill not grip the beam. This can be compensated for (see Figure 7) byadjusting the stop or screw 33 away from the plate 2!, so that theforward face of the stop head 39 will liecloser to a vertical linebisecting the axis of the crank shaft 32. With the adjustablestop orscrew, disposed in this position, the clamping plate will normally haveaslight tilt, so that upon immediate turning of the crank shaft thethrow portion thereof will function to further tilt the clamping plateand bring the wall of the-bore thereof into gripping contact with thebeam.

. A further added feature of the invention is that a removable closureor bottom wall 40 is provided for the shell 20, and the same is held inplace by screws 4|. The closure plate 40 is provided with an opening 42and this opening receives a portion of the toothed periphery of the head39, so that accidental turning movement of the screw'or stop will beprevented after adjustment.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or thescope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

A quick adjustable vise comprising a frame, a fixed jaw on said frame,amovable jaw, a sliding beam secured to the movable jaw and slidablysupported by said frame whereby said movable jaw can be freely slidtoward and away from the fixed jaw, a locking plate having an openingtherethrough intermediate-its ends for receiving the beam, said plateextending above and below the beam, a cam shaft being rockably carriedby the frame, and having its throw portion disposed above the beam andengaging the upper end of the plate, means for turning the shaft, anadjustable stop carried by the frame, and disposed below the beam so asto contact the plate below the beam, and spring means normally holdinthe 5 plate tight against the throw portion or the shaft and against thestop, the stop being adjustable relative to a vertical line bisectingthe axis of the shaft, and said stop having an enlarged head providedwith a smooth forward plate-engaging face and a, toothed periphery, andmeans engaging said toothed periphery to prevent accidental movement ofthe stop.

ROBERT O. HEINRICH.

REFERENCES crren" The following references are of reeord in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Heinrich July 22, 1947

